Dawson's Diary - day two

And…another practice is has been completed. Once again, after I did my required workout regiment (punting, kicking, stretching, more stretching, and then some stretching), I got the chance to watch practice. I found myself joined in this regard by hundreds and hundreds of the Clemson faithful who were curious to see what the new Clemson team will look like.

As I watched the multitude funnel through the gates and vie for position around the field, a particularly dense section naturally formed around the quarterbacks, a section I will fondly refer to as the Blackberry field, given the number of small handheld devices that were being held in front of the faces of many. I think I saw a camera pointed at me for a fleeting instant but at that moment Willy Korn dropped back to pass and my opportunity for stardom was lost. I guess that's just the territory of the specialist. It's how I roll.

As I stated in my first entry, our tempo and the way we do things has changed and it's a theme that I continue to observe. Guys are competing for spots and working hard to get better. From what I've seen, Coach Steele knows defense. The man was created to coach. I would rather shave off my skin and take a peroxide bath then play our defense and Brandon Maye in particular. I'd be injured. Injured bad.

Another thing that I've seen is how Coach Scott and Coach Pearman have teamed up to coach the O-line. I think we will all see the result of more individualized coaching and our offensive line will be a force this upcoming season. Overall, we've made great progress in these two days and are improving in all the phases of our game. I look forward to getting better as a team tomorrow, building on the successes of today and correcting the flaws and mistakes we made.

On one last note, It was announced yesterday that Jon Richt, co-inhabitant of my place of residence and owner of the Xbox 360 in our apartment, will be transferring. I'd like to take the time to honor my fallen comrade by providing everyone with five facts you may not know about Jon Richt.

Richt Facts
1. Jon Richt only air-dries after taking a shower. No towels for this man.

2. Jon Richt has an extensive collection of bobbleheads. His favorite? A lifesize bobblehead of MC Hammer.

3. Jon Richt is an avid fan of What Not To Wear and can be found watching it Thursday at 9/8c on TLC.

4. Jon Richt's first object thrown wasn't a football. It was a spear. He was 2 years old and brought back dinner to his family.

5. Jon Richt's father is Mark Richt. I found that out yesterday. Who knew?

Good luck Jon. You will live in our hearts forever.

It should be noted that none of the Richt Facts are actually true except for #5. And #4.